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Lift weights to control diabetes

By Kathleen Blanchard RN on April 8, 2013 – 4:32pm for eMaxHealth
Diabetes Care Current News

Controlling diabetes might be easier with weight lifting as a choice for exercise. Researchers in the Life Sciences Institute at the University of Michigan have found resistance training promotes white muscle that is beneficial for glucose control instead of harmful as previously thought.

White muscle from weight lifting improves insulin response
The researchers were able to show white muscle that increase with weight lifting, running, diabetes and aging activates a pathway to make the body more responsive to insulin in mouse studies.

ATP is used by muscle for energy. With weight lifting, the muscles receive a signal to contract that in turn generates ATP from glycogen stored in white muscle. Glycogen storage is quickly depleted and only provides energy for a short period of time.